The influence of gender, refugee status, and symptom severity in complex PTSD treatment

Abstract

Research on prognostic factors concerning effectiveness of mental health interventions, is limited; it is most difficult to say who will benefit why of which intervention. Nonetheless, there is evidence that specific variables have some predictive value regarding the effectiveness of PTSD related treatment; the most important factors are gender, refugee status and symptom severity. In this study treatment response (i.e. PTSD symptom reduction) was analysed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire among 34 participants before and after treatment. The main results suggest that trauma focussed treatment may have a role in reducing symptom clusters of PTSD but gender and refugee status do not influence treatment response. The conclusion might indicate that men, females, refugees, and natives may all profit equally from trauma-focused treatment.